Marks & Morgan

Marks and Morgan Jewelers has closed its store at Westfield Sarasota Square.

The jewelry retail chain, one of several owned by Bermuda-based Signet Jewelers Ltd., had its gate down at its space near the food court on Tuesday and staff could be seen packing up the store. A sign on the gate instructed customers who needed to have jewelry repaired or to make payments to visit the company’s other store in the mall, Kay Jewelers.

Signet, which also owns the Kay Jewelers, Zales, Jared The Galleria Of Jewelry, Jared Vault, Piercing Pagoda and JB Robinson Jewelers chains, this month reported “disappointing” holiday results. It said same-store sales fell 4.6 percent in the nine weeks that ended Dec. 31. Total sales fell 5.1 percent year-over-year to $1.94 billion. Its e-commerce sales were down 2.4 percent, to $142.5 million, because “certain enhancements to the Sterling e-commerce business proved unable to handle high holiday traffic.”

Signet also cut its profit forecast for the fourth quarter and current fiscal year but has not announced widespread store closings.

The closing is the latest in a string of exits at the mall. Macy’s announced earlier this month that it would be pulling its store from Sarasota Square early this year. The department store chain is in the middle of its closeout sale, and merchandise is marked up to 40 percent off.

Men’s Warehouse also recently left the mall, and Bijou Brigitte, which had been at the mall for almost 10 years, closed just before Christmas. American Eagle, Wet Seal, New York Jewelers, RadioShack and GameStop, among others, also have left Sarasota Square in recent years.

Sarasota Square has also welcomed a number of new, nationally known stores with an emphasis in fast-fashion retail in the past two years. Companies like A’GACI, H&M and Old Navy have moved into large storefronts. Torrid, Windsor, GNC and Prime Serious Steak, a Port Charlotte-based steak restaurant, have all joined the mall in recent months.